Victory outshines flaws. Last night, the Devils’ shootout fireworks provided a spectacular smokescreen for what is becoming a chronic meltdown.

Their 1-2-3 punch came through again in the shootout, Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, and perfect Martin Brodeur, for a 2-1 victory over league-worst Columbus last night in Newark.

But once more, the Devils dissolved in the third period, giving up the one-goal lead they grabbed in the second, able to reach overtime only because of Brodeur’s heroics.

They were outshot 17-3 in last night’s third period, and only victory mitigated the trouble they look to be in. The Devils have been outshot 69-23 in their last five third periods, a 3-1 ratio, and even the greatest goalie of all time can’t keep winning on those odds.

“That’s what we have to correct,” Brodeur said. “That’s four games in a row we gave up the lead, or got [outscored]. We were able to get away with it.”

Coach Pete DeBoer was willing to excuse last night’s third-period fold as honest fatigue, because the Devils were back from a 3-2 road trip. But they still were outshot 52-20 in their previous four thirds, outscored 9-5. They lost twice that way, each time painfully, and except for Brodeur, it would have happened again last night.

“It’s a big two points,” DeBoer said. “The third period is the result of some fatigue and us running out of some gas. I’m not going to chalk up the third period as anything else but that.

“We found a way to get two points, and that’s a good thing.”

The Devils, 5-1 in shootouts this season, managed to win against the worst team in the league at 5-13-3, though the Blue Jackets are (2-0-2) since Curtis Stanford took over in net a week ago.

Dainius Zubrus, who earlier received his NHL milestone award for playing his 1,000th game on Nov. 16, opened the scoring at 4:09 of the second, firing Adam Larsson’s rebound past Stanford’s kicking right skate. That goal was Zubrus’ seventh, tying him with David Clarkson, one behind team leader Patrik Elias.

Brodeur kept Columbus at bay through two, making a memorable block of Vinny Prospal’s 2-on-0 pass toward Rick Nash. He also poked a breakaway from Derek Dorsett, and held the right post on Prospal’s wrap attempt, all in the second period.

The Devils’ third-period woes resumed at 6:01 on Columbus’ 24th shot, when Marc Methot’s slap from the left point went in off Jared Boll’s skate.

It looked ominous for the Devils again. The Devils lost in Boston with 3:01 left, were outscored 3-2 in the third in Buffalo, saw their 3-0 lead cut to one in Tampa, then blew a one-goal lead to fall with 2:03 left to Florida Monday.

But Brodeur didn’t allow another, and Kovalchuk and Parise scored as the first two Devils in the shootout, and Rick Nash and Mark Letestu failed to dent Brodeur.

“We got away with one here,” Elias said. “We’ll take it.”

* Travis Zajac is skating in New Jersey and may join team in practice in two weeks, general manager Lou Lamoriello said. … Center Tim Sestito was recalled from Albany to make his season debut. … Forward Eric Boulton was assigned to Albany on a conditioning stint. … The Devils are 7-3 in their last 10 games.